Paavani Bishnoi on Art, Crafts, Design and everything else that comes to the mind

Month: April 2006

Remember a story, a boy in search of the greenest, longest grass; kept walking by thinking he might fine the best one. In the end there were no too good ones. And the rule was that he can’t turn back.
People (read: designing students) keep hunting for best projects that they would like to work on but in all this they are simply neglecting the ones that might have some hidden potential.
The basis of rejecting a project could be:
– Company is not too big.
– Stipend (& perks) is not too good.

– The place is not too good to live for.
: Traffic : water : food etc.
– Project is not so interesting.
– People.
– Lack of resources.

There could be end numbers of reasons or say excuses on the name hunting for projects.
I have seen my friends cribbing about this & that. The system doesn’t help in finding out or even if they get they keep applying everywhere.
They take months even years for finalizing to a project by the time, who is paying for institute’s fee, who is ruining the precious time and most of all who is hurting the self esteem.

What I personally don’t like when they say, it’s not a good subject to work or simply I don’t like. But at times what one initially found non interesting goes to an interesting end. At times one starts liking the unlike topics.
How can one define its not so good, boring thing to do. See, the main thing would be then making the boring more interesting. Challenge would be that, how to execute it in such a manner that comes to a great solution. If it’s already clear then what the point it carrying it forward on the name of designing. As the design word says – solving a problem.
Through some general problems comes that’s could come on later stage of life too. Like how to manage with given resources, manpower, working in an industry etc. These kinds of things have to happen sooner or later. Just by being a student for how long can you avoid these situations.
Being a Designer is not so simple and hunting for good projects is not at all easy.

What matters more, an idea or the way idea is presented? Did you ever think why a good idea fails when other with just ok one could be the winner?

I personally found that lots of people have great ideas, like when they are communicating to others but when the time come to see the final show it did not turn out to be so good. Like, take the case of a team of 2-3 people participating for a design competition, they have solid ideas but they are busy in adding more interesting features in a product while forgetting about the how it will look. They are doodling out nicely but now no much time left for the rendering or making a nice layout. That’s how the things turn. Same time second team started working on Rhino or 3-D max and rendered it with cool textures and did good Photoshop effects and added nice words about describing the product and the end result turn out to be so good that even if their product have only few features but it has everything- detailed drawing, nicely made product and good descriptions. Not only in a competition but also notice the way ideas are presented in company. Here communication plays a major role, by taking help of well defined presentation, use of diagram, conceptual product images and points in bullets.

I was wondering what would be the essential for portraying an idea successfully–

Communication : Either you are presenting your ideas verbally, written or visually it should be communicable. In the 2nd two cases (Written & visually) – self explanatory even if in orally then also because at times people are not li stening what you are talking but seeing.Layout : Choosing a nice layout always distinguish you from rest.

Pick up the font size, font style & font colors in a way that one could easily understand. As a rule, don’t use more than 2 font type, offcourse one can play around with thickness of font.Visualization : It’s a fact that people not only understand but also retain more information if it is presented visually well. So using graph, process flow chart is a good thing or use storyboard but it should not be complicated or time consuming to prepare. It gives a general idea to the people (Technician, artists.).

Product/ design image : Putting your idea along with the product drawing make sense as other will know what actually you are trying to say. If time is constraint at least put the sketch. Along with it put little bit product information in approximately figures that will explain how big or small the product is going to be.

Variation : If possible, present your idea with variation through different drawing, images. As it will give precise understanding of how the product would look in other color, size or that feature.Material, process & technology : don’t forget to mention what material/s would be use where, how parts will join together or what technology is going to use in it. Further refinement will keep happening but it will give a clear view to others.

Preliminary Study : If ideas is a manifestation of an existing product or similar kind of product do exist, make it a point to mention it while presenting your idea. Otherwise, other might claim, they have seen similar kind of product. Other strong point, this way you could say, what more potential your idea have that existing one didn’t.Facts & figures : If idea is catering to a mass or a particular segment always do some research in collecting general facts & figures either by searching on internet or going to library or bookstore. This speaks how serious you are about the idea.Costing : Through at the initial stage it’s not important to think of cost but one should have a rough idea what would be the cost if going to execute it. Second, while presenting the ideas, others too can make suggestion.Loopholes or problem area : Don’t forget to mention it, it’s not about being honest about your idea but also will give the chance to come up with solution to tackle it while presenting or afterwards.Be prepared : Be prepared about how you are going to present the ideas; what would be the opening line, when to show the sketch or technical drawing. And how you will answer the others questions. Practice before going to talk about your idea. Rehearsal always helps as it generates the questions that might be asked by audience.

Few More points to add –Learn softwares : You not have to be good in sketching but also be very good with presentations software like Corel Draw, Adobe InDesign, Rhino, solidworks etc.Writing skills : Writing in designing matter. Have good vocabulary, write something creative either maintains an online journel (Blog).Keep yourself Updated : Read good designing books, check good blogs etc and never forget to read a newspaper regularly, atleast re ad headlines. Yeah, keep yourself updated with everything that is happening in world either politics, sports or economy.Be confident : There are people with ego who will simply deny the ideas. There is hierarchy in company, being a junior designer doesn’t mean your ideas left unheard.Know yourself : Self realization, what is strong about you, where you are lagging behind and how to improve. 1st of realizing, 2nd is approving it.

Time factor : Time management is important as well as the time in terms of future of an idea. The idea is like a baby. Think in terms of the growth of itListen & learn : Listen more, talk less. Try to understand what other is saying instead of not giving the chance to speak or arguing. Give suggestion but 1st Listen.Discuss among friends : Talk to others about it, like, what they think about it. Either when you talking to your design school classmate or your ex colleague on messenger.

There could be more points but it does not mean one rely on the way idea is going to portray. In the end of the day, it’s actually the potential that an idea have creates the distinction. Your idea should have essence otherwise all the hard work one did will be waste. I asked to my friends (Industrial as well as visual communication), what they think- idea matters or the way idea is presented. Whatever, but the general people (read- Designers!) perception is the way idea is presented. By claiming, the core of idea goes to trash if not presented well. Through most of them accepted its both that matters. But none of them denied the power of presentation.

Exam, exam time & exam pressure. Remember the time when you were appearing for board exam. Let me start with ‘Board exam’ word. Its might sound boring but actually its very important to know if you don’t know about Indian educational system. There are basically 2 types of exams at end of standard 10th & 12th, which is also called high school & higher secondary respectively. There are many education boards here that administer them. Different schools are affiliated to different boards. But main are two national boards: C.B.S.E. and I.C.S.E., in addition to those, there are different state boards too like UP board. These board exams are basically public examinations where the question papers are same throughout the state (or country, depending on the board). So, students compete at a state or national level when they take them. Off course grades acquired in these exams do matter.
Anyway, I am little anxious in knowing about the educational systems in other countries.

In USA, there is High school exit exam and its very important for students in order to apply for many jobs, entrance into the military, and it is a key part of the qualifications for acceptance at most four-year colleges and universities. One option for some students is to pass the General Educational Development (GED) test. The requirements to pass that exam are less stringent than what is required for a high school diploma
Even in Germany at the end of the 10th year, an exit examination happens, and depending upon the results, a student could choose to end their education or choose to undertake an apprenticeship for an additional two years. There is 6 –point grading scale is used. BTW to check the grading system in most countries visit Wikipedia link.
Well, I was talking about exam & students and it’s not difficult to identify any suffering 10th or 12th standard student. The student who constantly grumbles against the study pressure and talks about dreadful upcoming exams, while estimating his/her syllabi still left to be revised is the one. Like I read in a student’s blog – ‘Time is running out! The boards start in exactly 16 days, 11 hours, 48 minutes, 33 seconds. I can’t help but feel nervous; the most important exams that I will ever have to write begin in 16 days. Its so not going to be easy this year; the syllabus has been changed, the board is going to set difficult question papers…’
But what surprises me when I find similar situation with other standards kids too. Especially the primary classes children. Third class kid crying over the math’s homework or a 4th class girl tense about the Monday’s science test. Take the case of 8th class girl or a 11th class boy; every child is tense about studies including their parents who think in broader way, that’s why they force their child like anything. It’s exam time and students and their parents can think of nothing but marks. But apart from getting their child into the best colleges, do marks have a significant influence on life? Do school marks really determine a person’s career?
Think from the point of Student’ stress (That’s in most cases in unexplained by children), it is pressure to perform well in exams, an anxiety whether one will be accepted by peers. All these lead to stress in susceptible youngsters. The most common form of student stress is exam anxiety. Started by a feeling of panic, the general symptoms of exam anxiety are- increased perspiration, upset stomach, headache etc that lead to inability to focus and understand the questions and that’s how they face difficulty in organizing the thoughts and in retrieving key words. Just a blank feeling when child tries to remember the answers. And in the long run all this affects the child.
What could be done by educational system or anything else is a different issue first parents have to change their thinking to help their child to not to suffer from education stress.